Hand Plane Poll...

[Sean Hughto]

How do you go about cambering your BU planes?

I ask because, stuff like this makes it sound like sort of a pain (sorry, Derek!):

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Woodwor...aneBlades.html

[Joel Goodman]

For use for smoothing a very slight camber to avoid tracks is all that's required as you are taking a very fine cut. I have no problem with a camber roller on the LV mk 2 or on the elipse style guides with a LN BU jack. For rougher planing I use a BD but there are several options for a BU including a toothed blade which takes a lot off and needs no cambering. I got the impression the OP was more interested in fine planing that rough and quick stock removal.

[Danny Thompson]

Steve,

Derek's technique is genius. I don't have a belt sander of the type he uses, so I had to try some other options inspired by his ideas. Three different cambering techniques in all:

Standard Roller Technique (the simplest and probably the easiest for slight cambering, probably all you need for a smoother, jack, or jointer):
Load the blade in a honing guide (a Veritas MK. II in my case, but it shouldn't matter) to take a 2º microbevel and hone the microbevel square on your middle level (say a 1000 or 1200 grit waterstone or a 5 micron microabrassive sheet). Then shift my fingertips to one corner of the blade (middle finger on the blade, index finger on top of it) and press progressively harder through the stroke for a good number of pull strokes (10-20 or more). It is important to press progressively harder through each stroke to achieve a curve instead of a facet. Check it, and if it looks like enough is taken off for your tastes, then repeat with the other corner. Then repeat--hone square, then hone the corners with increasing pressure through the stroke--with your higher grits.

I used this to camber a #4 Hock blade and a 25º LV BU blade.

The second easiest option:
Buy a camber roller for the Mk.II and do the same as above, although, with the camber roller you can take multiple passes with constant pressure, with your fingers placed at various places along the camber from stroke to stroke.

I used this for a 50º camber (set the honing angle to 50º) on a 25º LV BU blade and a 40º camber on a 38º LV BU blade.

The toughest, but cheapest option:
Hollow grind a curved bevel in the blade freehand. Then sharpen and hone the blade by turning your stone or sandpaper sideways, and freehand the curved bevel across the sharpening medium using a controlled swinging action of the shoulders. Tough to get right.

I used this on my very first no-name, big box store block plane when I needed a scrub plane, but didn't know what a scrub plane was. It worked, but was a pain.

[lowell holmes]

There is an excellent article (actually two articles ) about hand planes in the current issue of Fine Woodworking.
I started with two planes and progressed to more than I need.

The second article really helped me with the proper use of the jack plane.

The Garrett Hack book on handplanes is entrtaining as well as informative.

[James Harrison]

A type that I have not seen mentioned is the ECE Prius wooden hand planes. They are rated very high. The ones with the adjustable throat run at 200 or more. They are something to look at and consider.
I have the LieN low angle jack plane and it is excellent. I have used it for hours flattening and squaring rough cypress lumber. I also have one of the old No.4 Bailey planes with a Lie-Neilsen blade in it and it works beautifully. There are some excellent video's on Fine Woodworking that show sharpening and using planes. It costs about 14.00 per yr. to become a member but it is worth it.